104 pages • 3 hours read
Harriet JacobsIncidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 1861A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
In Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs, who calls herself "Linda Brent" in the narrative, Jacobs describes her life as an enslaved woman in the Southern United States, detailing her efforts to escape the sexual harassment of her owner, Dr. Flint, and her eventual flight to the North where she secures her freedom and reunites with her children. The memoir addresses themes of sexual abuse, exploitation, and the struggle for autonomy.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs receives widespread acclaim for its poignant and powerful depiction of the female experience under slavery. Reviews praise Jacobs' bravery and compelling narrative. Criticisms include occasional disjointed storytelling, yet the book's emotional and historical impact overshadows these minor flaws.
Who Should Read Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl?
Readers who value Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe or The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois will be engrossed by Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs. They will appreciate its firsthand perspective on slavery, resilience, and the quest for freedom detailed through personal narrative.
RecommendedReading Age
18+yearsLexile Level
740LBook Details
Inspirational
African American Literature
Education
Race / Racism
Trauma / Abuse / Violence
History: U.S.
American Civil War
Identity: Race
Society: Class
Values/Ideas: Power & Greed